If Only
by all10xs
Summary: A series of short oneshots involving the Heroes and their deepest wishes. Each week or so, there will be a story revolving around one or two characters.
1. The Distant Moon

The Distant Moon

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes characters, settings, etc., or the companies surrounding them. This is merely for the entertainment of fellow Heroes fans and no copyright infringement is intended. Same goes for the quotes in italics seperating paragraphs._**

Claire gazed out her side of the Haitian's car. The asphalt was cold and black, seemingly impervious to all of Claire's emotions. Since the bridge, Claire and the Haitian had only spoken when absolutely necessary. On each side of the road at this point, there were two large hills, which shrouded them from the whitewash of the moonlight. Claire didn't mind. Her hair hadn't been brushed or cared for much that entire day, not to mention the tear streaks that marred her perfect face.

"_Don't worry you will find the answer if you let it go_

_Give yourself some time to falter"_

As the Haitian beside her quietly turned the corner, the hills that had previously been their shelter suddenly disappeared. Claire caught a glance of herself and wasn't at all surprised. Her father truly had loved her. Yet, he'd been doing experiments on her fellows. She wondered, since the Haitian had made him forget, if he'd be obliged to take her to his bosses if they crossed paths again. The fact that he'd allowed himself to endure pressure from all different angles of life- just for Claire astounded her. She didn't consider herself so worthy of protection. _ If I was worthy of his protection_, she thought, _then why weren't others?_ A single tear sneaked out, catching Claire unaware. The blood that was staining her coat had dried hours ago, but she refused to look down at her shirt, in fear of letting her emotions control her. She quickly wiped the drop away, and sighed.

Meanwhile, in the seat next to her, the man known simply as "the Hatian" watched his passenger's reactions. They were surprisingly calm, considering the fact that she was a teenage girl, and a super-powered one as well. The memories of other people floated in the back of his mind, haunting him eerily whenever he lost focus of whatever he was doing. He glanced at Claire as he heard her sigh.

"Do you want to sleep?" he asked slowly, his sentence drawn out by his accent.

Claire slowly shook her head, but then decided on a more polite response, "No," she replied hoarsely, "But thank you." She looked over at his emotionless face. For all the things he'd been through, for it truly showed in his eyes, he wore on faithfully. _I should take an example_, Claire thought pensively. She met her own eyes in the rearview mirror. Her eyes weren't red, although you could see the sadness surrounding them, and she wasn't smiling deceivingly or masking her pain with talk. All that needed to be said had been said. Now all they needed to do was let Time do what it did best- heal. Even though Claire was quite indestructible, she would never heal on the inside, and she was forever changed.

"_But don't forgo know that you're loved no matter what_

_And everything will come around in time"_

So they drove on, meandering through obscurely moonlit country roads, barely speaking, nor meeting each other's gazes. They merely wore an almost identical look on their faces and stared at the cold, metallic asphalt that led them to their destination.

**A/N: I hope you liked the first chapter. I'm going to be writing according to each episode, after each episode. Please review to let me know how I can make things better! All quotes in italics between paragraphs were by Sarah Maclachlan.**


	2. Wavering Facade

Disclaimer- I still don't own Heroes. So get over it.

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**Wavering Façade**

The afternoon sun barely shined through the labyrinth of New York Streets. Angela Petrelli gazed out the window, seemingly captivated by the glow festooning the skyscrapers, yet barely peeking over the edges. She stood, a strong figure, tending to all of her family's mistakes. She was the woman from whom Nathan Petrelli had developed his stubborn strength. It was strange how much of her spirit shone through in her granddaughter. She'd fixed all the problems that she could, caring, however distantly, for her granddaughter. She'd guided Nathan through his political processes, and had even helped her late husband when she could.

_It's hard to listen to a hard, hard heart_

_Beating close to mine_

_Pounding up against the stone and steel_

_Walls that I won't climb_

The moment her eyes locked with Claire's, her emotions sprang forward. Affection, pride, and even the need to protect the precious girl. She'd done everything already to protect her, even though the girl had fought. When Angela told Claire the truth, that she was her birth grandmother, Claire could barely ululate or achieve any sound at all, let alone speak. Inside, Angela Petrelli longed to welcome her granddaughter to the family sincerely, while her political, officious side countered that it would be impossible.

Suddenly, the phone rang. She walked briskly over to where Peter's phone was and picked it up, "Hello?"

"Mom, it's Nathan. Where's Peter?" replied the voice of her eldest son.

"Oh, hello, Nathan. Peter's not home," she cringed inwardly at the sound of her own icy tone. Claire appeared around the corner. She'd been sitting with the Haitian. Her eyes were wide as if to ask, _Is it him? Is it my father?_

"Well, when he gets home- just- Never mind, I'll be home soon," and with that, he was gone. Angela set the phone down gingerly and turned toward Claire. They'd spoken almost all day by only their eyes. Claire was scared and nervous. She'd had no idea what kind of family she had waiting, only to find that she could never belong to it. Claire sighed tremulously. She was afraid to actually speak to her grandmother, for fear she'd sound stupid, and they'd reject her in an instant. Angela's penetrating stare probed every inch of her face. Claire cradled her necklace, a talisman from home, in her hand gently.

Claire wished everything would _s l o w d o w n_. Time seemed to leave her behind, transfixed in her myopia. Her head was still spinning. The man who had saved her, who cared about her, had a greater bond with her. A familial bond.

_Sometimes a hurt is so deep, deep, deep_

_You think that you're gonna drown_

_Sometimes all I can do is weep, weep, weep_

_With all this rain falling down_

Angela watched the girl squirm under her glance, "Come on, Claire, I think we should get something to eat. Peter _must_ have something edible here." Claire smiled nervously, and walked back into the kitchen, where Angela told the Haitian, in French, that he should go to her house and stay there- they weren't to be disturbed.

Meanwhile, clouds began to gather as the sun fled below the horizon. Before long, it was raining. The people below the buildings seemed quite impervious, merely covering their head and continuing their business. As the rain increased, more and more people began running for the nearest cover, abandoning their usual decorum and occasionally glancing at the sky as if to chastise it for its actions.

_Strange how hard it rains now_

_Rows and rows of big dark clouds_

_When I'm holding on underneath this shroud_

_Rain_

Up in Peter's apartment, the granddaughter and grandmother talked over the soup they had made, their bonds grew. The strident of the rain pounding on the windows was drowned out by the peaceful conversation they were having. Claire told Angela about her life in Texas, and Angela replied by informing Claire of her family there.

_If only- I could just- let her in. If it were possible to show her some affection, I would_, Angela thought, eyes briefly shining with sadness. Claire spotted this right away. She opened her mouth for a moment, but then closed it. Claire's hand shot out awkwardly and she spoke, "It's okay. Whatever's wrong is okay." Angela couldn't help but smile. Her façade melted away, and Angela stood, followed closely by Claire.

Angela reached to hug Claire, who returned it. "Thank you, Claire. I'm sure it is."

Claire's eyes lit up in acceptance. She closed her eyes. This woman had guided her father, as well as Peter, and Claire was sure, at that particular moment, with the rain howling outside, that as a family, they would all make it through the hard times ahead. Together.

_Strange how hard it rains now_

_Rows and rows of big dark clouds_

_When I'm still alive underneath this shroud_

_Rain, Rain, Rain_

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**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I had a tough time coming up with what to write... I have a vocabulary story due tomorrow, and decided to combine them to make it easier on myself. I think I might steer away from the Petrellis for a bit next time... but They're the easiest to do. Oh, and these lyrics are from Patty Griffin's song 'Rain'.  
**

**Anyway, cheerio!**


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